Ueki Gliderfield

Economic reasons and land redevelopment. The site was repurposed for a large-scale renewable energy project. The land, which was previously leased for recreational aviation, was redeveloped into a mega-solar power plant, a more profitable use for the landowner.

The site is no longer an airfield. It has been completely redeveloped and is now occupied by the 'Koshi Town Ueki Mega Solar Power Plant' (合志市植木メガソーラー発電所). The entire area of the former runway and airfield is covered with thousands of solar panels. All aviation-related infrastructure has been removed.

Ueki Gliderfield was a significant hub for non-powered flight and general aviation training in the Kumamoto Prefecture. It operated as an officially registered 'Jōgai richakuriku-jō' (場外離着陸場), which translates to an 'off-field landing and takeoff site'. The airfield featured an 800-meter grass runway (approximately 01/19 orientation). Its primary function was to support glider operations for university aviation clubs (notably from Kyushu University) and local enthusiast groups like the Kumamoto Glider Club. For decades, it was a crucial training ground for student pilots learning to fly gliders, which were typically launched via aero-towing.

None. The complete and permanent redevelopment of the land into a large-scale solar energy farm makes the prospect of reopening the site as an airfield virtually impossible. The infrastructure for the solar plant is a long-term installation, and there are no known plans or discussions to revert the site to its former aviation use.